Why Do Some Students Struggle With Math More Than Others?

If you’ve ever found yourself dreading the day of your Calculus test or spending hours trying to make sense of all the signs, letters, and numbers in your Algebra homework, you’re not alone. Math seems to be one of those universal struggles for all students–whether you’re a sixth grader or a grad student. As exciting and interesting a subject as it is, math is just one of those things that you either love or hate. And for a lot of students, it’s mostly the latter. 

In a survey conducted on students aged 13 to 17 years old in the United States, 37 percent responded that math, along with science, is the most difficult subject they have in school. That translates to a staggering number of students having math difficulties, considering that the U.S. has around 15 million high school students, as of 2022. So why do some students struggle with math more than others? And more importantly, what can you do to overcome your math problems?

Why is Math Hard for Some Students?

It’s not uncommon for students struggling with math to be told that it’s likely because of their lack of interest, short attention span, or even laziness. But more often than not, these are a result of other bigger factors that affect a student’s ability to learn math effectively. After all, it’s hard for any student to stay motivated once the frustration has already set in. To address these difficulties, it’s important to get to the bottom of the problem and understand the most common causes of a student’s math struggles.

1. Lack of understanding of basic concepts.

Most of the struggles a student faces with math can be traced to one problem: a poor grasp of basic concepts and weak foundational skills. Successful math learning is largely dependent on a student’s understanding and mastery of earlier concepts. Because math is built on sequential learning, any new topic often builds upon previous lessons. You must learn division before you can reduce fractions and grasp basic arithmetic processes before you dive into linear equations. Needless to say, if a student didn't fully comprehend the previous lesson, it hurts their chances of understanding future topics.

In classrooms, students are expected to keep up with their peers. As a result, those who may need more time to internalize a topic fall behind, often because they are embarrassed to ask questions or ask for help when the teacher and the rest of the class have already moved on to the next lesson.

2. Relying on memorization and repetition instead of understanding concepts.

Rote learning or memorization may play a huge role in your other classes, but it’s not the case for math. A student may learn how to perform math operations from repetition, but that doesn’t always mean they fully grasped the whys and hows behind it. Take the multiplication table, for example. Elementary school students can recite the entire table from memory but not all will understand what multiplication actually means. 

3. Lack of practice.

The only way to really understand and get better at math is through practice. This means setting time aside to review and apply the concepts you’ve learned in class to become more comfortable with the processes and steps involved. This is a crucial part of math learning as it helps build a student’s skills and independence. Moreover, knowing that you can solve problems and equations even without the teacher showing you every step is a huge boost to your confidence and motivation. This is particularly important as some students may feel like they’ve already understood a topic by watching the teacher solve and explain the problem, only to find themselves struggling once it’s time to do it on their own.

4. Attention difficulties.

As much as we are passionate about math here at Stemly, we also know that it can get quite complicated at times. Solving math problems and equations often involves several steps and processes that you need to perform in the correct sequence or you won’t arrive at the right solution. Needless to say, complex math concepts require increased focus from students to prevent missing important steps that can lead to more struggles later on. 

How to Overcome Your Math Struggles

Math has gained quite a reputation over time as the toughest subject a student will ever encounter in school. Sometimes, a student will have already made up their mind that math will be hard for them before even taking the class. And while it’s true that math can be quite a challenge, that doesn’t mean learning it can’t be fun and rewarding. That is, if you know where to look for help.

One of the most effective ways to improve your math skills is by working with a private math tutor who can address the causes of your difficulties. A private math tutor understands that struggling with math is common among students and that not everyone can learn concepts the same way and at the same speed. Math concepts are like building blocks that build on top of each other, and with private math tutoring, students can learn these fundamental concepts and skills without the pressure of falling behind their peers.

At Stemly Tutoring, our private math tutors ensure that our students get every opportunity to go back and revisit previous lessons to prevent gaps in their learning through one-on-one instruction. Stemly’s private math tutoring is highly individualized and designed to identify the areas where support and improvement are most needed. We build confidence and independence by constantly incorporating activities and practice exercises that gradually increase in difficulty while also teaching effective study habits to improve focus and motivation.

Stemly Tutoring offers online math tutoring for students of all ages. Our friendly, highly specialized, and experienced tutors provide comprehensive support with our Pre-Algebra tutoring, Algebra 1 tutoring, Algebra 2 tutoring, Geometry tutoring, Trigonometry tutoring, Pre-Calculus tutoring, AP Calculus AB tutoring, AP Calculus BC tutoring, Calculus 1 tutoring, Calculus 2 tutoring, Multivariable Calculus tutoring, and Statistics tutoring.

Reach out to Stemly today and learn more about our math tutoring services. Need help with your other classes? We’ve got you covered. We also provide science tutoring help, including Physics tutoring, Chemistry tutoring, and Biology tutoring.